Travelling with Caviar: When the 125 g CITES Exemption Applies

Two 50 g containers of caviar total 100 g. Add a third and the total reaches 150 g: beyond the 125 g traveller exemption. At an EU border, the consequences can reach further than that extra container. The Court of Justice has held that exceeding the threshold without the necessary documents takes the whole quantity outside the exemption.

The rule can let you carry up to 125 g (about 4.4 oz) of Appendix II caviar per person without CITES permits, in individually marked containers bearing the required CITES label. It comes from Resolution Conf. 13.7 (Rev. CoP17). Whether it works for your journey depends on national law, departure and arrival requirements, and food import rules.

What the 125 g CITES exemption actually covers

The allowance belongs to the traveller, not the container. Count the total caviar you are carrying before considering anything else.

CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, regulates cross-border trade in listed wildlife and its products. Its personal-effects recommendation applies only where national law adopts it. Customs declarations, food entry rules and other national controls still apply.

Paragraph 3(b)(iv) of Resolution Conf. 13.7 specifies 125 g per person and requires labelling under Resolution Conf. 12.7. The caviar provision does not say “per trip” or “per journey”. The US rule at 50 CFR 23.15 states 125 g without specifying per person or per trip.

Check these three conditions:

• Appendix II species only. The 125 g provision does not cover Appendix I caviar.
• Legal acquisition and personal use. The resolution requires lawful acquisition and personal ownership or possession for non-commercial purposes.
• Individually labelled containers. Keep the caviar in its correctly CITES-labelled containers. Do not transfer it into an unlabelled pot.

The label records traceability information; it cannot establish what is inside. The CITES caviar code explains its fields, while CITES and caviar sets out the wider wildlife-trade framework.

How the main destinations apply it

Wildlife documentation and food clearance are separate checks. The table sets them side by side. Where it says “confirm”, no current official answer was found for that route: contact the authority before travelling.

Food import permission is a separate check

A generous fish allowance does not mean a generous caviar allowance. Official Dutch traveller guidance makes the distinction clear for EU entry: the general fish allowance does not replace the much smaller caviar limit, and the packaging must be sealed with a CITES label. Check both sets of rules.

Great Britain's official guidance contains a conflict worth resolving before you pack. APHA's specific CITES guidance allows 125 g per person in individually marked containers. The GOV.UK food page says caviar cannot enter without a CITES permit. Obtain written clarification from APHA and the food-import authority for your route; neither statement alone gives complete clearance.

Do not count on customs removing the excess and handing back 125 g.

For Northern Ireland, use DAERA's separate traveller food guidance, not Great Britain's food page. DAERA includes sturgeon caviar within the fishery-product allowance and adds the 125 g wildlife restriction.

For Australia, ask DAFF's BICON system to resolve the actual product, its origin and intended use. A metal container does not make refrigerated caviar a commercially sterile, shelf-stable canned fish product. DAFF defines retorted goods by their processing and storage characteristics, rather than their packaging alone.

Where it does not apply: US beluga, Appendix I and biosecurity

Beluga needs particular attention at the US border. The 125 g allowance does not override US Endangered Species Act controls on the species CITES lists as Huso huso. Section 17.44(y) sets out a special rule with conditional exemptions; farmed beluga does not receive automatic access.

In 2005, the US suspended the special rule exemption for beluga from the Caspian and Black Sea states, including personal and household effects. Imports covered by those suspensions require a threatened species permit under 50 CFR 17.32. The traveller allowance cannot replace it. Ask USFWS which permissions apply, and read the US beluga rules for the detailed background.

Appendix I caviar is outside the 125 g quantitative exemption. If a hybrid has an Appendix I parent or ancestor, obtain a determination from the CITES authority. A hybrid label alone does not establish Appendix II status.

Food and biosecurity requirements can stop a product even when its wildlife paperwork is in order. Australian authorities warn that food which fails those requirements can be exported or destroyed following inspection.

Buying at an airport does not change the border rules

Duty-free is not CITES-free. Buying caviar after airport security changes nothing about the exporting country's rules or the requirements at your next border. The same applies to caviar bought legally at your destination. The resolution specifically addresses tourist souvenirs and airport sales.

A non-commercial gift can qualify as a personal item under EU law, as the Court of Justice confirmed in case C-87/20. That leaves the quantity limit unchanged. It also does not turn a sale into personal use or remove another country's export requirements.

Airport security is a separate question again. Ask the departure airport's security authority whether it treats your caviar as a liquid or gel, and check the position at any connecting airport. In the US, ask the Transportation Security Administration. Security clearance and wildlife import permission are different decisions.

For cold-chain and packing guidance, see travelling with caviar. Keep those transport arrangements separate from the question addressed here: whether the caviar may cross the border at all.

What happens if the conditions are not met

Do not count on customs removing the excess and handing back 125 g. The EU Court of Justice ruling puts the whole quantity outside the exemption when the threshold is exceeded without the necessary documents.

US CBP also warns that caviar above the traveller quantity can be seized. Other consequences depend on national enforcement: Australian wildlife guidance warns of seizure and penalties for improperly documented imports, while US authorities warn of penalties for failing to declare food.

If the quantity or purpose falls outside the exemption, arrange the required permissions before departure. Commercial caviar trade explains the documentary route. Carrying the product in personal luggage does not mean the paperwork can be regularised on arrival.

For an unfamiliar route, give the authorities a clear description of what you intend to carry:

• Species and product description.
• Total net weight and photographs of the labels.
• Country of origin, departure country and itinerary.

Then ask two direct questions: are CITES documents required in each direction, and is this particular food product admissible in accompanied luggage?

Caviar law and regulation provides the wider legal background. Before packing, obtain confirmation for your route from the relevant authorities. A seller's assurance cannot stand in for the decision of the officials who will inspect your luggage.